Events - February 2012

EVENT CATEGORIES

ART

Through Feb. 3New Visions: A Selection of the Latest Acquisitions from the IDB Art Collection, 2008–2011The Inter-American Development Bank's art collection comprises 1,722 artworks that include paintings, sculpture, photography, works on paper, ceramics and handcrafted objects. These works showcase the region's creativity and highlight the achievements of its distinguished artists.Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center

Feb. 3 to May 20Shakespeare's Sisters: Voices of English and European Women Writers, 1500-1700This exhibition explores those women who were writing during Shakespeare's time, reimagining the "conversations" of these early women writers — with each other as members of families or groups, with the Bible, with spiritual and secular ideas, and with male writers of the time — in hopes of expanding their overshadowed voices.Folger Shakespeare Library

Feb. 3 to Jan. 6Dragons, Nagas, and Creatures of the DeepIn the Spirit of the East Asian calendar's Year of the Dragon, this exhibition highlights objects drawn from cultures as diverse as the ancient Mediterranean world, imperial China and contemporary South America, portraying dragons as everything from fire-breathing beasts to beneficent water gods.The Textile Museum

Through Feb. 4Conversación: Photo Works by Muriel Hasbun and Pablo Ortiz MonasterioIn conjunction with FotoWeek DC, this exhibition represents a yearlong collaboration between two artists, one from Mexico and one in D.C., whereby a single photograph was sent by Pablo Ortiz Monasterio as a digital file to Muriel Hasbun, who replied by sending back one of her own. This exchange went on for months, the results of which reveal how photography can probe the possibilities of cultural and visual exchange in a digital age.Mexican Cultural Institute

Opens Feb. 4Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient IranIn celebration of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's 25th anniversary, the Freer and Sackler's extraordinary collection of luxury metalwork from ancient Iran goes on view in the walkway between the two museums. Considered one of the largest and finest holdings of its kind, the collection comprises works dating from the first millennium B.C. to the early Islamic period.Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Feb. 4 to May 6Shadows of History: Photographs of the Civil War from the Collection of Julia J. NorrellInspired by the 150th anniversary of the Civil War — one of the first conflicts to be extensively documented by photography — this focused collection developed in recent years by Washington collector Julia Norrell captures a wide range of images, from soldiers and officers at rest, to the death and destruction of battle.Corcoran Gallery of Art

Feb. 4 to May 6Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to VuillardApproximately 200 snapshots made by renowned post-impressionist artists like Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Vuillard using the new technology of the Kodak handheld camera, most previously unpublished, are displayed with 70 paintings and works on paper that the snapshots inspired, revealing fascinating parallels in cropping, lighting and vantage point.The Phillips Collection

Feb. 4 to May 6Tim Hetherington: Sleeping SoldiersBetween 2007 and 2008, photographer Tim Hetherington (1970-2011) was embedded with U.S. Army soldiers in a remote and dangerous post in northeastern Afghanistan. This exhibition includes photographs and a video installation that juxtaposes chaotic scenes of combat with still images of soldiers at rest.Corcoran Gallery of Art

Feb. 4 to July 29From the Library: The Fleeting Structures of Early Modern EuropeIn early modern Europe, state visits, coronations and weddings were among the occasions that gave cities a chance to stage lavish productions in which artists and architects designed elaborate structures and decorations, allowing them to experiment with new ideas or encourage city officials to consider new uses of public space.National Gallery of Art

Through Feb. 10Forces of NatureInvestigating the intricacies of land and sea, flora and fauna, 13 acclaimed Australian artists specializing in jewelry and small sculpture reflect on the complex relationship between contemporary Australia and its unique natural environment.Embassy of Australia

Through Feb. 11Bill Dorsey: A RetrospectiveThis retrospective encompasses the career of Bill Dorsey (1961-2011), a longtime Washington artist whose emotive oil renderings express the beauty found in nature with depictions of landscapes and the Washington community.International Visions Gallery

Through Feb. 1230 AmericansProvocative and confrontational, this exhibition showcases works by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades, focusing on issues of racial, sexual and historical identity and exploring the powerful influence of artistic legacy across generations.Corcoran Gallery of Art

Through Feb. 12Weaving Abstraction: Kuba Textiles and the Woven Art of Central AfricaIngeniously woven from palm fiber, Central African textiles distinguished the wealthy and powerful. Woven art from the Kuba kingdom in particular makes playful use of a language of over 200 patterns. "Weaving Abstraction" is the most comprehensive exploration of this art form to date in the U.S., with 150 objects ranging from small, exquisite baskets to monumental skirts.The Textile Museum

Feb. 14 to June 2The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812Paintings, porcelain, glassware, metal ware, attire, Napoleonic armor and other items commemorate the bicentennial of Russia's triumph over the French army in 1812, which dealt an arresting blow to Napoleon and his pursuit of European conquest while also igniting a collective Russian pride and production of decorative arts that persists today.Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens

Feb. 23 to May 13Suprasensorial: Experiments in Light, Color, and Space"Suprasensorial" is the first exhibition to re-evaluate the evolution of the international Light and Space movement through the work of five pivotal Latin American artists. Coinciding with the show, a 360-degree projection by Doug Aitken will illuminate, animate and transform the Hirshhorn's entire façade.Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Through Feb. 24Lost Worlds: Ruins of the AmericasPhotographs by Arthur Drooker offer a powerful visual narrative of the cultures, conflicts and conquests that forged the New World, spanning significant ruins in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.OAS Art Museum of the Americas

Through March 4Central Nigeria Unmasked: Arts of the Benue River ValleyThis international exhibit features more than 148 objects used in a range of ritual contexts, with genres as varied and complex as the vast region of Central Nigeria, that demonstrate how the history of the area can be "unmasked" through the dynamic interrelationships of its peoples and their arts.National Museum of African Art

Through March 4Harry Callahan at 100Celebrate the centenary of the birth of Harry Callahan (1912–99), one of the most innovative and influential photographers of the 20th century, with some 100 photographs that explores all facets of Callahan's art.National Gallery of Art

Through March 11Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro: Are We There Yet?In the first U.S. exhibition of Australian artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro — and the third exhibition in the "NOW at the Corcoran" series showcasing emerging and mid-career artists — a gallery-transforming installation draws on American history, literature, pop culture, current affairs and the Corcoran's architecture to explore the symbolism of space exploration and the paradoxes of food consumption.Corcoran Gallery of Art

Through March 16Chronicles of a PortraitistGérard Rondeau has photographed hundreds of celebrities from all walks of life, ranging from Carla Bruni to Léo Castelli, often for the French newspaper Le Monde. This exhibit features 100 of those portraits depicting such notables as Jean Baudrillard, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Jacques Derrida, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Mitchell, Patrick Modiano, Jean-Jacques Sempé, Richard Serra, Philippe Starck, and George Steiner. Viewings are by appointment only and can be made by calling (202) 944-6400.La Maison Française

Through March 24The Wild Horses of Sable IslandPhotographer Roberto Dutesco reveals the fascinating beauty of a fragile sliver of sand more than 100 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia. Sable Island, known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," is the site of more than 475 shipwrecks since the 17th century. Yet the barren, windswept island is also home to more than 400 wild horses, abandoned there by sailors long ago — a feral herd that has managed to thrive in an unforgiving environment.Embassy of Canada Art Gallery

Through April 8Antico: The Golden Age of Renaissance BronzesThis exhibition is the first in the United States devoted to the Mantuan sculptor and goldsmith Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi (c. 1455–1528), known as Antico for his expertise in classical antiquity.National Gallery of Art

Through April 15Anil Revri: Faith and Liberation through AbstractionAnil Revri constructs his paintings on a grid, and the repetition of finely detailed geometric elements offers viewers numerous optical rewards. But these are also contemporary spiritual paintings analogous in their functions to tantric art, and its distant relation the Byzantine icon.American University Museum Katzen Arts Center

Through April 15Gabarrón's RootsIn his first D.C. exhibit, Spanish artist Cristóbal Gabarrón's vibrantly colored sculptures are larger than life, but human in scale and effect, while his painted tondos (circular works of art) evoke archaeological and zoological mysteries.American University Museum Katzen Arts Center

Through April 15Migration_StandardsRealized in cooperation with the art collective bäckerstrasse 4 – plattform für junge kunst curated, this exhibit featuring four artists focuses on the challenges of migration and its structural conditions as a result of redistribution of power and property.Austrian Cultural Forum

Through May 6Picasso's Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing TraditionThrough some 55 works, this exhibition presents the dazzling development of Pablo Picasso's drawings over a 30-year period, from the precocious academic exercises of his youth in the 1890s to the virtuoso works of the early 1920s, including the radical innovations of cubism and collage.National Gallery of Art

Through July 6Alberto Schommer: Portraits and ScenariosAlberto Schommer, one of Spain's most prominent photographers, has pioneered a path challenging conventional forms, including a series of psychological portraits, always guided under the influence of the oeuvre of Irving Penn and William Klein. Part of the "Spain arts & culture" series (www.spainculture.us).Embassy of Spain

Through July 8The Baroque Genius of Giovanni Benedetto CastiglioneGiovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609-64) was perhaps the most complex and far-reaching interpreter of the baroque, the naturalistic style that dominated 17th-century European art.National Gallery of Art

Feb. 22 to 26TwylaTharp: AllAmericanThis all-Twyla Tharp repertory program features the American dance icon's "Nine Sinatra Songs," "Push Comes to Shove" and the Washington Ballet premiere of "Surfer at the River Styx." Tickets are $20 to $125.Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

DISCUSSIONS

Fri., Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.TARA Oceans Scientific ExpeditionThe Embassy of France's Office of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Tara Expeditions invites you to a presentation by Eric Karsenti, scientific director of Tara Oceans, and film screening of "The Big Bloom" to mark the near conclusion of a 30-month scientific voyage to distant seas and oceans. For reservations, visit www.france-science.org.La Maison Française

Tue., Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m.Catalin Florescu, Inka Parei & Erwin UhrmannErwin Uhrmann of Austria, Inka Parei of Germany and Catalin Dorian Florescu of Switzerland read and discuss their work in an evening dedicated to emerging authors in contemporary German literature. To RSVP, visit www.acfdc.org/events-registration or call (202) 895-6776.Embassy of Austria

Sat., Feb. 18, 2 p.m.Budapest, Prague, and Vienna: Where the Coffee House Influenced the Opera HouseYvonne Caruthers examines the cultural hegemony of Budapest, Prague and Vienna in their imperial centuries as the centers of classical music and opera. Tickets are $15.Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery

MUSIC

Fri., Feb. 3, 8 p.m.Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban MessengersLegendary Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdés — hailed as "one of the world's great virtuosic pianists" by the New York Times — and his band, the Afro-Cuban Messengers, perform a sublime evening of Latin jazz. Tickets are $23, $38 or $46.George Mason University Center for the Arts

Fri., Feb. 3, 8 p.m.Shanghai Chinese OrchestraThe Chamber Ensemble of the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra gives audiences a chance to discover a new musical vocabulary with this concert of historical and contemporary Chinese music played on traditional Chinese instruments. Tickets are $45.University of MarylandClarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Sat., Feb. 4, 8 p.m.Wed., Feb. 8, 8 p.m.The Tschaikowski St. Petersburg State OrchestraSince its founding shortly after World War II, the Tschaikowski St. Petersburg State Orchestra has developed a diverse repertoire ranging from baroque through 20th-century music, with moving performances that often include compositions by Vivaldi, Bach, Handel Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. Tickets are $25 to $50.George Mason University Center for the ArtsGMU Hylton Performing Arts Center (Feb. 8)

Fri., Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.Viktoria Loukianetz and Marianna HumetskaThis joint presentation of the Washington Group Cultural Fund, the Embassy of Ukraine and the Austrian Cultural Forum features pianist Marianna Humetska with Kiev-born soprano Victoria Loukianetz, who started her musical education at the age of 5, finishing her studies at the Conservatory of Kiev in 1989. Tickets are $40.Embassy of Austria

Sat., Feb. 11, 2 p.m.Washington Performing Arts Society: Sol Gabetta, CelloBorn of Russian-French parents in Argentina, the charismatic cellist Sol Gabetta is forging an impressive career as the director of her own chamber music festival. Tickets are $25.Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

Sun., Feb. 19, 4 p.m.Soweto Gospel ChoirExperience the joy, peace and hope of this celebrated Grammy-winning choir of 26 singers performing both traditional and contemporary songs in some of South Africa's many languages. Tickets are $22, $36 or $44.George Mason University Center for the Arts

Sat., Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.The Saiyuki TrioWith French-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê at the helm, along with Indian tabla player Prabhu Edouard and Japanese koto player Mieko Miyazaki, the Saiyuki Trio produces a distinctive jazz sound, also drawing on rock, funk and traditional African, Indian and Vietnamese styles. Tickets are $25.La Maison Française

Wed., Feb. 29, 8 p.m.Washington Performing Arts Society: Vienna PhilharmonicLorin Maazel conducts the venerable Vienna Philharmonic, which for more than 160 years has been closely associated with the history and tradition of European classical music. Tickets are $65 to $250.Kennedy Center Concert Hall

SHOWCASES

Fri., Feb. 10, 8 p.m.La Saint-Valentin at the Embassy of FranceWhether you're single, a couple or a group of friends, celebrate Valentine's at the Embassy of France with its fifth annual La Saint-Valentin soiree featuring open bar, pastries, live music and a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting the French-American Cultural Foundation. Tickets are $85.La Maison Française

Wed., Feb. 15, 6 p.m.Taiwan Film and FeastTo introduce Taiwan's food culture and celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office welcomes local foodies and cinema lovers to savor a free "film and feast" featuring one of Taiwan's top culinary artists, chef Hou Chun-sheng, winner of the 2011 Taipei Beef Noodle Soup Competition, as he serves his version of beef noodle soup during a reception, followed by a screening of "Eat Drink Man Woman."Freer Gallery of Art

Fri., Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.Vinyl: Tales from the Vienna UndergroundA film screening of "Vinyl: Tales from the Vienna Underground" about the hidden experimental and electronic music world in Vienna if followed by a reception and performance by Austrian DJs The Happy Kids. Tickets are $60.Embassy of Austria

THEATER

Feb. 3 to March 11Civilization (all you can eat)This wicked satire follows a group of six ambitious Americans on a quest for success at the dawn of the Obama age — and the price they must pay to achieve it. Tickets start at $30.Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Feb. 4 to 19Electile Dysfunction: The Kinsey Sicks for PresidentJoin the ladies of the Kinsey SIcks at the launch of their groundbreaking campaign to become the first Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet to win the Republican presidential nomination by out-pandering, out-conspiracy theorizing, and out-outlandishing the current candidates. Tickets are $35 to $60.Washington DCJCC

Through Feb. 5HairsprayIn 1960s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, wins a spot on the local TV dance program and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity in the Broadway sensation "Hairspray." Tickets start at $63.Signature Theatre

Tue., Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m.Poison Lecture: A Performance of Magic and DeceptionThe Alliance Française de Washington and International Spy Museum present "Poison Lecture," which is everything a lecture is not: It's actually a multilayered performance piece exploring the seemingly unlikely connections between legendary magician John Mulholland, the CIA, and the science of espionage. Tickets are $20.International Spy Museum

Feb. 9 to March 4Ana en el trópico / Anna in the TropicsDormant passions are revived with the arrival of a lector who reads chapters of "Anna Karenina" at a 1920s cigar factory in Ybor City, Florida, where cigars are still rolled by hand. Tickets are $34 or $38 (in Spanish with English surtitles).GALA Hispanic Theatre

Feb. 9 to March 4Genesis RebootAn angel and a demon retell the story of creation from their perspectives in this farcical new play. Tickets are $30.Synetic Theater at Crystal City

Through Feb. 12La Cage aux FollesGeorges (George Hamilton), the owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza, are put to the test when their son brings his fiancée's conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair. Tickets are $65 to $130.Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

Through Feb. 12Necessary SacrificesPlaywright Richard Hellesen explores the two documented encounters between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln during a period of national crisis, as Lincoln searches for a way to end slavery, while Douglass's rhetoric and conviction challenges the president to envision a post-emancipation world. Please call for ticket information.Ford's Theatre

Feb. 15 to March 11Astro Boy and the God of ComicsOnstage drawing meets the 1960s dream of the future in this story of Japanese cartoonist Osamu Tezuka and his most famous creation: Astro Boy, a crime-fighting robot. Tickets are $38 to $43.The Studio Theatre

Feb. 25 to March 15Washington National Opera: Così fan tutteIn Mozart's game of love and seduction, two young men wager that their fiancées will remain faithful, even when tempted — and to prove it, they decide to do the tempting themselves. Tickets are $55 to $300.Kennedy Center Opera House

Feb. 29 to April 8Sucker PunchIn 1980s London, two black teenagers try to box their way into fame, fortune and a better life, but will they become champions or sell-outs? Tickets are $35 to $60.The Studio Theatre

Through March 4The Gaming TableThe thrills of the gaming table stylishly play out against the eccentricities of English manners in Susanna Centlivre's comedy as an independent widow with a penchant for gambling leads a nightly card game, which bankrupts some and entertains all. Tickets are $30 to $65.Folger Shakespeare Library

Through March 4RedAt the height of his career, Mark Rothko is struggling with a series of grand-scale paintings for the elite Four Seasons restaurant, and when his new assistant challenges his artistic integrity, Rothko must confront his own demons. Please call for ticket information.Arena Stage

Through March 4The Two Gentlemen of VeronaIn perhaps Shakespeare's earliest play, lifelong friends Valentine and Proteus are unexpectedly thrust into the rivalries and complications of adolescence when they both fall in love with the Duke of Milan's daughter, Silvia. Tickets are $37 to $90.The Shakespeare Theatre

Through March 25Really ReallyWhen the party of the year ends in the regret of a lifetime, one person will stop at nothing to salvage a future that is slipping away — and it is every man for himself in this contemporary drama that embraces the harsh realities of the "me" generation. Tickets are $56 to $80.Signature Theatre